Answer to Question #6958 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

You ask a very good question. It is typical procedure at many facilities to have all persons stand at least six feet away from any patient while x rays are being taken in an area that is outside of an x-ray room (e.g., in the NICU, in a patient room, etc.). Since the x-ray technologist is the person who takes the x rays, that person is present for many (or all) of the x rays, whereas ancillary personnel (nurses, physicians, etc.) may only be present for some of the x rays. This is why the x-ray technologist will wear a lead apron while others in the area do not.

The amount of radiation exposure that is present for any x ray drops off as you increase your distance. A rule of thumb is called the inverse-square law, which indicates that for every time you double your distance from the x-ray source (in this case, the x rays are scattered by the patient), your radiation exposure drops to one-fourth. It turns out that being a minimum of six feet away is a rule of thumb that decreases your risk from radiation exposure to a more than acceptable level. It is also important to know that the amount of radiation needed for an x ray of an infant is much less than that for a child, a teenager, or an adult so the amount of scatter radiation to others in the room is even lower.

As long as you have followed the guidance during these x rays (at least six feet away), it is most likely that your radiation dose has been minimal. If you still have concerns, I recommend that you contact the radiation safety officer (RSO) for your hospital and discuss this with him/her. Your facility should have a policy/procedure regarding this (and based on what you have been instructed, this sounds like the case) and the RSO should be able to share this with you. These types of policies are usually driven by regulations in your state regarding radiation safety for x-ray equipment.

Ken "Duke" Lovins, CHP